Top-50 games of the decade. WePlay! Edition. Part 1

Each player has his favorite games and titles, which he hates with all his heart. Our editorial team has been discussing games for a long time that deserve to be called legends of the decade. Those games that were either released between 2010 and 2019 or are deservedly considered the most popular. Of course, it couldn't be done without heated debate. We invite you to a discussion and welcome criticism with facts. Perhaps, you think that we missed a masterpiece game, and some of the titles put on a high pedestal undeservedly? Share with us in the comments.

We decided to start the list of favorites from the 50th place, briefly telling how they stand out among their competitors and how they deserve a place in our ranking.

50. Outlast (2013)

Metacritic: 80 User score: 8.3

The game with overwhelmingly positive (32 045) reviews on Steam has to open our juicy top. Even from the end. It's a survival horror, in which the main character will suffer from a lack of batteries in his camera and try to survive among crazy monsters in a creepy house. It's the best choice for those who love to hit a nerve.

49. Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014)

Metacritic: 89 User score: 7.4

This part of the Dragon Age series has the same amount of fans as haters. Anyway, every game is subjective love or hate. Our editorial team considers the third part as the game of the decade because it properly continues the story about the confrontation between Grey Wardens and Darkspawn.

48. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)

Metacritic: 97 User score: 8.5

The name of the game itself contains what we are here for. Zelda became a legend long before the previous decade, and fans expect each new part of the adventure genre. The nineteenth game in the series is for Nintendo Switch or Wii U owners, and it immerses players in the fantastic world of Khayrul, familiar from the previous parts. Each of us dreams of being a hero from a fairy tale, right?

47. Hotline Miami (2012)

Metacritic: 85 User score: 8.6

Whatever the year it is: games in the "pixel graphics" will always be popular. The cruelty of the game is leveled by the original style, something reminiscent of the first GTA, and the variability of the walkthrough. Bats, axes, shotguns, and just fists are faithful allies of the main in-game character. This is not just a shooter - it is a strategy and 47th place of our legendary top.

46. Alien: Isolation (2014)

Metacritic: 81 User score: 8.5

We know that you also have been walking through this game for a long time (if suddenly "no, it was easy for me" - then show us in the comments, the world should see its hero). 

Jumping out of nowhere, an alien helped to build more than one brick cottage. A creepy atmosphere of survival on a spaceship where the main character has to play "hide and seek" with a black-tailed monster is not for every player, but only for those who have a stable mind. The game from 2014 left an indelible impression, made irreducible gray hair, and too away irreparable nerve cells from a significant part of the editorial staff.

45. What Remains of Edith Finch (2017)

 Metacritic: 89 User score: 8.2

You are alone with a calm, rather short game that will make you reconsider your attitude to life and death. Edith Finch tells a story by a journey through the family mansion, the environment, and home decor, flashbacks, and simple game actions. Those emotions that arise during the walkthrough and at the end of the game put the creation of the American studio Giant Sparrow in the line of the legendary games of the decade. Plus, recognition not only by the gamers, but also by critics, as well as receiving such awards as Best Game 2017 at British Academy Games Award, and winning the Best Narrative category at both the 2018 Game Developers Choice Awards and The Game Awards 2017, among other awards and nominations.

44. Firewatch (2016) 

Metacritic: 81 User score: 6.9

What this game gives you? The feeling of being in someone's shoes, feeling another person's emotions, sometimes experiencing mysterious or suspicious key events. On behalf of the main character, Henry, we live a tangle of family and personal problems, shrouded in a fleur of mysticism and frightening events in the game. If you ever wanted to experience others' life and, for example, find out what it feels like to work as a forester in Wyoming (America), then this game is worth it. And we include it in our top, again, due to the unforgettable emotions that it gives the player.

43. Beyond: Two Souls (2013)

Metacritic: 76 User score: 7.7

A key feature of the game is the paranormal abilities of the main character, played by Ellen Page, in the game from the creators of the timeless hit Heavy Rain. The life story of a girl with an inseparable "cast-guardian angel" touched several people in our team to the core. The complicated line of storytelling can confuse you, suddenly throwing you into different parts of Jodie Holmes' life. Interactive cinema, where you are both a spectator and a director (with the small assumption that you did not write the script and you can't control the plot), is ranked 43rd in our top.

42. BioShock Infinite (2013)

Metacritic: 94 User score: 8.6

Genre: the first-person shooter. Venue: Colombia. This is where all the usual things are ending, because Colombia in the game is a city floating in the sky, and the protagonist can use special powers to destroy enemies. We swear that even a person unfamiliar with this game has seen a lot of cosplay on the beautiful character of BioShock - brunette Elizabeth, who has to rescue the main character according to the plot of the game. A memorable story, an unusual setting, and vivid emotions in the gameplay are the perfect combination for the game of the decade.

41. To the Moon (2011)

Metacritic: 81 User score: 8.9

If you don't cry at the end of the game, then you're the most insensitive on earth. A touching story permeated with longing, love, and the complexity of the relationship between a person and a pipe dream put the game from Kan Gao in a rather high position for an indie game, despite the simple pixel graphics and gameplay.

40. Tales from the Borderlands (2014)

Metacritic: 86 User score: 8.2

Who wants a dose of heavy humor? Do you need a portion of legendary graphics from the passed away Telltale? The lucky one who didn't walk through this game yet. He or she will have to participate in the story of John and the company, which will also catch the soul, as it happened with several people from our editorial team who confidently voted to include this game in the top legendary games of the decade. And although we can still notice the Borderlands corporate identity in the new, third part, that light atmosphere and unforgettable jokes are hard to copy.

39. The Evil Within (2014)

Metacritic: 76 User score: 8.5

The game catches our attention with a combination of genres - horror and shooter in one bottle. The 39th position in the top is dedicated to lovers of "meat", screamers, stealth, and suffering - this is precisely what the game is full of. You will be a weak and helpless hero who is exhausted in three seconds of running and whose weapons will break or disappear after one blow. Can you agree that there are not many decent games in the survival horror genre released this decade? The Evil Within is one of them.

38. Ori and the Blind Forest (2015)

Metacritic: 88 User score: 8.5

Colorful platformer can't leave a single player indifferent. If you ask anyone who has walked through all levels with the cutest Ori how exactly the game stands out among any other metroidvania - the answer will be approximately the same for everyone: atmosphere, music, characters, graphics. The Moon Studios developers created this high-quality game at the highest level.

37. Bloodborne (2015)

Metacritic: 92 User score: 8.9

A game for stubborn players. You will have to redo complicated tasks over and over again, smashing your keyboard, mouse, or gamepad. But this is why many fans love Bloodborne. One player's review: "Every night I want to return to the beautifully crafted gloomy Gothic atmosphere of the game. It beckons like a drug, at the same time scaring and making every nerve of a tired hunter strain." And we do not know what else can be added to this laconic description. However, critics and our editorial team's opinion also confirm that the game is worthy of the title of one of the legendary games of the decade.

36. The Banner Saga (2014) 

Metacritic: 80 User score: 8.0

It's a turn-based RPG, where all the components (visual, musical, and plot) are worked out just enough to make the player satisfied with the quality of the game.

35. The Stanley Parable (2013) 

Metacritic: 88 User score: 8.0

A game will make you doubt the reality around, as well as the adequacy and your intelligence. Addictive gameplay that does not replete with action, but attracts attention, won't let you go until the end of the game.

34. This War of Mine (2014) 

Metacritic: 83 User score: 8.4

This War of Mine is notable for its unusual setting and gameplay. The game events take place during the Civil War, where you have to monitor the status of a group. The main task is to survive as long as possible. The basic needs, in addition to the standard "eating" and "trying not to freeze," also include the desires of the characters to talk or be sad, which they should not do, and you will have to think about how to fix it. It's quite an interesting idea with an extremely cruel fate of the "Sims" (forgive me for this definition, fans of this indie game).

33. Mafia II (2010) 

Metacritic: 77 User score: 8.1

How to explain what Mafia 2 is to a beginner in gaming? This is GTA of its time, but with the mafia clans of the last century 40-50s. The magnificent plot, as in the first part, was written and directed by the creator of Kingdom Come: Deliverance (this game is also in our rating, do not worry) Daniel Vavra. We won't remind you about the fact that the story in the game is worthy of a separate article, we only mention that, according to players, the graphics of that time could well compete with modern games. Moreover, the system requirements of Mafia 2 are quite kind to the weak soft, and even a non-gaming laptop can launch it.

32. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (2011)

Metacritic: 88 User score: 8.5

The entire The Witcher series deserves to be mentioned in the top games of the decade. Few gamers have not played or remained indifferent to the creation of CD Projekt Red. The adventures of Geralt in a world full of magic, monsters of all possible types, created by Andrzej Sapkowski back in 1986, remain relevant to this day thanks to the great work of the CDPR team.

31. Metro: Exodus (2019)

Metacritic: 82 User score: 6.9

Both last games from the Metro series go one after another in our top, and it was challenging to determine which one deserves a higher position. And yet, the second game left in the memory of the players much more impressions and emotions than the last. Both games are good, and we will not separate them according to "technical" features. Exodus was good since fans had been expecting it for quite some time.

A massive bonus for a CIS gamer is a setting from real life: Russian-speaking heroes, the relationship between them, their motivation and mentality are close to the player, and the post-apocalyptic world adds excitement to the plot.

30. Metro: Last Light (2013)

Metacritic: 82 User score: 8.5

To be a hero of the book by Dmitry Glukhovsky, to feel the tension and fear of the character, and also try to establish (or not) contact with people and/or "monsters" - all this "salad" from the styles (shooter, surviving horror and stealth action) puts the second part of the Metro game series on the 30th position of our top-50. A memorable original story, seasoned with good gameplay and well-written dialogues, allows you to confidently say that this game is considered one of the best in the last decade.

29. Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018) 

Metacritic: 76 User score: 8.1

The game development took more than eight years from the creators. Can you imagine the scale of hard work invested in the game? Kingdom Come fully justifies the time and budget invested by the Warhorse Studios team in the production and support of the game. But no one will express an opinion on the legendary game better than the gamer, who devoted much of his time to it:

28. Batman: Arkham City (2011) 

Metacritic: 96 User score: 8.7

The content relating to the eternal confrontation between Batman and the "man with scars" (in the literal and figurative sense), in our opinion, will never become vintage. Suffice it to recall the success of the "Joker" movie. So the sequel of the game received the love of gamers in 2009 not only due to the plot but also to the excellent implementation of the visual and musical component in the game. In addition to the opportunity to feel like a superhero, there is a good "entertaining" part with Riddler. Of course, Batman: Arkham Knight is also worth mentioning: both these games are called the best implementation of DC comics.

27. The Wolf Among Us (2013) 

Metacritic: 80 User score: 8.8

Telltale's pretty brutal interactive movie in five episodes. This "fairy tale" is clearly not for children under 14 years old. A rich mixture of the noir and fantasy genres in the realities of modern New York is shocking with its straightforward plot, bloody scenes, and sometimes frightening surroundings. Despite some disadvantages (the players lacked variability and freedom of action), the game gets to the memory of those who walked through it, which is why it occupies almost the middle of our top.

26. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015) 

Metacritic: 91 User score: 7.8

The last creation, to the plot of which Hideo Kojima had a hand, while still working at Konami. A fan of stealth in the box and silent companions, Solid Snake has a special place in the soul of every gamer who has tasted the Metal Gear game series. The result of the fruitful work of the genius was the high marks from critics and players who really love this universe, and not only by its gameplay, but also a thoughtful, intriguing, exciting plot.

The second and most juicy collection of the remaining games from the Top-50 can be found in the second part of the article.